Form
Doncaster Rovers secured promotion back to League One last season after finishing as League Two champions, four points clear of runners-up Port Vale. Promotion ended their three-year spell in the fourth tier, having been relegated from League One in 2022.
They are currently smack bang in the middle of the table, sitting 12th in the league, five places and three points ahead of Reading. Their recent form however has been poor, having seen four losses and one draw in their last five games.
They come
into this weekend’s game off a 1-2 home defeat to Northampton Town last weekend. The two sides last faced each other in the 2013/14 Championship season with Reading claiming the double over Donny, winning 4-1 at the Madejski Stadium and then 1-3 at the Keepmoat Stadium.
The boss
Grant McCann: McCann was appointed Doncaster manager in May 2023, replacing Danny Schofield, who was sacked after only seven months in charge.
The Northern Irishman had a 17-year career as a player, representing the likes of Cheltenham Town, Barnsley, Scunthorpe Town and Peterborough United, as well as his country. He ended his career in Northern Ireland at Linfield in 2015 but quickly took up his first coaching role at former club Peterborough.
It was at the Posh where McCann had his first managerial job as he was appointed to the dugout in May 2016. McCann was sacked in Februrary 2018 but ended up at Doncaster Rovers four months later, where he had his first stint at the club.
He guided Rovers to the League One playoffs in his first season but they lost in the semi finals. He went on to join Hull City that summer where he spent two and a half years, suffering a relegation and then promotion back to the Championship.
McCann had a spell at Peterborough before rejoining Doncaster in May 2023. He has since guided Rovers back to the third tier and has a League Two champions medal to his name after they won the league last season.
The 45-year-old likes his sides to play positive, high-energy football.
Squad
A total of 10 players joined Doncaster this summer with five signing on permanent deals and another five coming in on loan.
Permanent signings included the free transfers of defender Matty Pearson, midfielder Robbie Gotts and forwards Glenn Middleton and Brandon Hanlan, while centre-back Sean Grehan arrived from Crystal Palace for an undisclosed fee.
Doncaster’s loans were goalkeeper Thimothee Lo-Tutala (Hull City), defender Connor O’Riordan (Blackburn Rovers), midfielder Charlie Crew (Leeds United) and forwards Damola Ajayi (Tottenham Hotspur) and Toyosi Olusanya (Houston Dynamo).
Midfielder Harry Clifton should be the only first-teamer missing for Rovers this weekend.
Predicted lineup
Lo-Tutala, Grehan, Pearson, McGrath, Maxwell, Bailey, Close, Olusanya, Gotts, Middleton, Sharp
Key player
4. Owen Bailey: Midfielder Bailey signed for Doncaster in June 2023 from Gateshead FC.
Bailey started his career in the youth setup at Newcastle United and made 86 appearances for their youth teams. He never made a first-team appearance for the Magpies, so went on to join Gateshead in 2021, where he spent two seasons, scoring 10 goals.
Since joining Donny in 2023, Bailey has made over a century of appearances for the club, while adding another 14 goals to his career tally. The 26-year-old was made club captain ahead of the current season, having captained the club on a number of occasions last season.
Bailey is a defensive midfielder who is effective at breaking up the play in the middle of the park.
One to watch
27. Sean Grehan: Defender Grehan joined Doncaster this summer from Premier League side Crystal Palace for an undisclosed fee.
He started his career in his homeland of Ireland, playing in the St Kevin’s and Bohemians youth teams. He went on to join Palace in 2022 and became a key player in their under-21 side.
While at Palace, Grehan spent time on loan at Carlisle United and Bohemians, where he spent the second half of last season.
The 21-year-old has made eight appearances for Doncaster since signing. Grehan is a centre-back by trade and is seen to be a no-nonsense defender.
